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For businesses with a presence on Facebook, Notes are useful for displaying company information, details of special offers, the latest news releases and other content that requires a longer format. It's possible to control exactly who can see the content of each note, and other users and Pages can be tagged within Notes, just as they can in a standard status update. There is no official purpose for the Notes function specified by Facebook, so businesses are free to use it as they see fit.

Company Updates

The Notes function was originally introduced as a way to import blog posts into the Facebook platform. Although this functionality has now been removed, it gives an idea as to how Notes can be used for longer, text-heavy postings that don't suit the traditional status update format. For example, a Note could be used to present a press release, or to publish a less formal update on targets, sales or staffing. Alternatively, a Note could be an opinion piece by a key member of staff.

Customer Feedback

As with most other elements of the Facebook platform (such as status updates and photos), Notes can be commented on by any users who can see them. Notes are therefore useful for getting customer feedback on a particular matter -- a change in company terms and conditions, for example, or the potential options for an upcoming special offer or promotion. Use the privacy controls built into the Notes system to limit who can see each Note, and therefore who can comment on it -- certain Notes could be limited to staff members only for example.

Reports and Write-Ups

Notes are unique in the way in which they can combine lengthy blocks of text with photos, so they are well-suited to more detailed reports and write-ups. These write-ups could cover recent company events or conferences, perhaps, or the road-testing of a particular new product out in the field. Photos can be embedded within the text itself, so Notes can be thought of as small newsletter-style items which could be used to report on anything from a staff training day to a company merger.

Note Creation and Privacy Settings

Notes can be created from the Notes app which is listed on the main Facebook newsfeed. Notes can contain a title, a main body (with bold, italic and underlined text, as well as block quotes and lists) and tags relating to other Facebook users or Pages. Notes can be saved as drafts to edit later or published immediately. At the bottom of each Write a Note page is a Privacy drop-down list which determines which users are able to see the note. Among the options available here are "Public" (the note is visible by anyone on the Web) and "Friends" (only confirmed friends on Facebook can see it).

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About the Author

An information technology journalist since 2002, David Nield writes about the Web, technology, hardware and software. He is an experienced editor, proofreader and copywriter for online publications such as CNET, TechRadar and Gizmodo. Nield holds a Bachelor of Arts in English literature and lives in Manchester, England.